Drum or reel for cable



Oct. 7,1969 Y J. HILL 3,471,009

DRUM 0R REEL FOR CABLE Filed Jan. 25, 1967" 2 Sheets-Sheetl Oct. 7,1969 J. HI LL DRUM OR REEL FOR CABLE Filed Jan. 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 26 27 n 30. F/G9b-F/G9C- & /7590.-

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 206-59 7 Claims I ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a drum or reel for cables wires or ropes which comprises a barrel having end checks or flanges which, with the barrel, present an annulus for the reception of the wound cables wires or ropes. When the drum or reel is loaded the wound cable wire or rope is protected by a cylindrical cover formed by battens which extend between channels on the end checks or flanges at slight angles to lines extending longitudinally of the drum between the end cheeks thereof. This small angle may be from 1.5 to 15. As a result the majority of the battens may be easily and rapidly assembled into position merely by placing them successively into the space between the end cheeks and turning them until they fit into the channels, leavingthe last two or three battens to be applied in position by the more laborious method of passing them in succession through a slot'or slots in either or both of 'the peripheral channels, whereupon the slot or slots are closed to prevent separation of the barrels. L

Where the barrel itself is made of wood and the drum is of the dismantling type, the barrel itself may be constructed of inclined battens as described with respect to the cover. 7 p

The ends of the battens may be chamfered or curved to facilitate the desired turningmanipulation without destroying the efficiency of retention of the ends of the battens within the channels when the battens take up their required position for covering the cable wire or rope on the barrel.

The present invention relates to cable, wire or rope drums, reels or the like and more praticularly to the peripheral casing or cover for protecting the cable, wire or rope when .wound on a metallic or other drum or reel.

Normally a cable, wire or rope'after being wound on the barrel of a drum or feel is protected by a subsequent- 1y applied outer peripheral cover or sheath constituted by a number of battens in the form of wooden laths which are separately mounted in position to extend side by side in a direction truly longitudinally of the drum in order to span the gap between cheeks, flanges or ends of the drum. In other words the longitudinal edges of the battens lie at right angles to the planes of the cheeks, flanges or ends of the drum or reel. These wooden battens when placed on a metal drum are usually secured in position by means of wire or steel bands.

Where each of the checks or ends of the drum has a groove or channel on its inner face in the vicinity of its outer rim or periphery for the reception of one end of each batten, it is usual to provide a slot in one check or flange which extends wholly through the flange, i.e., from the inner to the outer face thereof and in a direction parallel to the drum axis. This slot is of sufficient width to receive each of the battens in turn and registers with the peripheral groove of said flange whereby the battens may be fed in succession through the slot so that they may be brought to a position spanning the end flanges, whereupon the battens are circumferentially displaced in the grooves of the end flanges until they collectively occupy the entire periphery of the drum, thelast batten pushed through the slot being secured in position, in con- 3,471,009 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 "ice tiguous relationship with the battens on each side of it, by means of a locking strip or the like device.

It will be appreciated that this construction produces a similar result to the other constituting the known art in that each batten extends across the gap between the cheeks or flanges of the drum in a direction consistent with the shortest distance between said flanges, i.e., in a direction truly longitudinally of the drum and at right angles to the cheeks or flanges of the drum.

Each of the known methods of assembly, however, has its own disadvantages, those arising from adoption of the second method described above consisting in an unduly lengthy time factor in the assembly of the battens and also the necessity for overcoming frictional resistance with potential jamming of the battens as they are displaced in the grooves peripherally of the cheeks towards their respective positions where they will collectively enclose the cable charge.

According to the present invention a cylindrical component of a drum, reel or the like, which may be constituted either by a peripheral cover or sheath for a cable wire or rope wound on the barrel of the drum or by the barrel itself, consists of a plurality of battens each of which when placed in position between end flanges or cheeks of the drum lies at a small angle to a line extending longitudinally of the drum that is to say at an angle which differs slightly from a right angle to the planes of the cheeks of the drum or reel.

Thus where the difference from a right angle is represented by an angle a, the battens lie at angles of I+OL and 90a, to the planes of the cheeks, or each batten lies at an angle of oz to a line extending longitudinally of the drum. Conveniently the angle a is between 1.5 and 15 according to the drum diameter, the increase being progressive with increase in the diameter of the drum.

The end faces of each batten, instead of being at right angles to the longitudinal faces of the batten, may be chambered so that they also lie at angles of 90+a and 90a to the respective opposed longitudinal edge faces of the batten; in order words the opposed main longitudinal faces, as distinct from edges, of a batten are constituted by parallelograms with unequal diagonals in contradistinction to rectangles.

The invention is applicable to drums or reels either of the non-dismantling type or of the type where dismantling may be achieved. In the former case the cylindrical component primarily is constituted by the cover or sheath alone, but where the barrel of a drum or reel is made of wood and it is desired to dismantle the drum or reel when not in use, the cylindrical component may be either the barrel itself or the drum or both.

' Where the invention is applied to the peripheral cover or sheath and with the object of ensuring that it is of the required strength, the angle of the battens with respect to lines drawn longitudinally of the drum, and the angle of chamfer of the end faces of the battens is determined by the desire to have the maximum bearing contact between said end faces of the battens and faces of the channels on the peripheries of the cheeks, flanges or ends of the drum. If desired, however, each end edge of the .battens may be curved, or oppositely chamfered or bevelled to present a tapering effect. Again, and in order to render the battens weatherproof, their longitudinal side faces are preferably rabbeted.

By constructing the individual battens in this form and assembling them between the checks of a drum in a direction other than the truly longitudinal direction, the said battens with the exception of the last two or three may be assembled in position between the opposed inwardly facing peripheral grooves or channels in the inner faces of the checks of the drum by the simple and rapidly operated expedient of applying said battens to the gap between the cheeks in the peripheral region of that portion of the cover they will respectively occupy and turning them until they reach the required annular position relatively to the cheeks and at which the ends of the battens are located in their respective grooves.

There is thus no necessity to insert all the battens at one peripheral position of the drum and push the battens successively along the peripheral grooves in the inner faces of the cheeks, although as the formation of the peripheral cover proceeds the smaller becomes the space for manipulating the remaining battens into position. Where a single slot is provided in a cheek or flange constituting an end of the drum, said slot should be kept clear until the last two or three battens are to be fitted, whereupon these are inserted through the slot and manipulated by'a turning action to take up their positions between the opposed peripheral grooves of the respective checks at the required angle to a line extending longitudinally of the drum. If desired, however, either or each cheek or flange may have a pair of slots for this purpose, the pair being diametrally disposed at the cheek periphery. Where each check has one or a pair of diametrally disposed slots, the slot or slots of one cheek are out of alignment with the slot or slots of the other.

It will be appreciated that the, or each, slot may be disposed in a limb of each cheek which in the region of the outer periphery thereof extends radially of the drum. If desired, however, where the battens are required as a cover or sheath for a cable or the like wound on the barrel of a drum, the or each slot may be formed in the actual outer periphery of the cheek where this is constituted by an annular channel member secured to the check.

The batten receiving grooves in the cheeks of the drum may be formed in any desired manner. Thus the outer rim of each check or flange may itself be constituted by a channel member placed on its side with the channels of opposed cheeks facing each other, or again the groove may be formed by the innermost half portion of a girder of I or other section. Where I section girders are employed to receive the battens the toes of the girders may be utilised to accommodate battens of different thicknesses. Again where the drums or reels are made of wood, as distinct from metal, the girders may be of any desired rigid material, e.g., metallic or wooden, and each may be of L or other channel section disposed with respect to the wooden periphery of its cheek or flange so as to provide a channel for the reception of one end of each of the battens forming the cover.

The battens may be rabbeted along their longitudinal edges to improve the weatherproofing effect of the cover or barrel as a whole as the case may be.

Again the invention is applicable to frameworks or open covers wherein the angularity of alternate battens is reversed with respect to the intermediate battens giving a zig-zag eflect to the batten formation around the periphery of the drum between the cheeks, flanges or ends thereof.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view partly in section on a plane at right angles to the axis of a dismantling type of metallic drum or reel of the present invention and wherein the cylindrical component is constituted by wooden battens forming a cover or sheath for a cable, wire or rope (not shown) wound around a metallic barrel between the metallic end cheeks or flanges of the drum.

FIGURE 2 is a view partly in section on the line II-II of FIGURE 1 but showing part of the cylindrical component cut away for the sake of clarity.

FIGURE 3 is a composite perspective view of a detail showing part of the inner face of a check or flange and alternative slots which are provided in a channel member of said cheek or flange for use in mounting the last two or three battens of the cylindrical component in their required positions.

FIGURE 4 is a view taken from a position internally of the barrel of FIGURE 3 showing the position of the barrel between annular parts supporting the fluted cheeks of the drum.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic representation showing how all but the last few wooden battens of the cover or sheath constituting the cylindrical component of the drum are moved into their required angular positions.

FIGURE 6 is a detail showing a channel member of I section with tapered toes which permit of the use of wooden battens of diflerent thicknesses in the formation of the cylindrical component of a drum.

FIGURE 7 shows a cover or sheath made up of an open framework of battens alternately extending at opposite small angles to lines extending horizontally of the drum.

FIGURE 8 is a detail showing a modified form of channel member for supporting one end of each of the battens when these are provided as the cover for cables mounted on a wooden barrel extending between wooden cheeks or flanges.

FIGURES 9a, 9b and show alternative shapes for the ends of barrels, while FIGURE 90. shows a transverse section of a batten having rabbeted longitudinal edges.

In the embodiment of the drum or reel illustrated in FIGURES 1-4 a split metallic barrel 10 is mounted between a pair of end metallic cheeks or flanges 11. Each of the latter comprises a hub 12 from which a number of radial arms 13 extend to support an annulus 14 of sheet metal from which a fluted metallic strip 15 bent into annular form extends radially outwardly to support an outer rim 16 of channel section. As may be seen from FIGURES 3 and 4 the split barrel when bent into cylindrical form has turned back lips or flanges 17 at its ends, the edges of which in the regions of the annuli 14 at opposite ends of the drum engage with tapered slots 18 in said annuli, so that as the annuli of the respective end cheeks or flanges are moved towards each other by the engagement of threaded tie bolts 19 in lugs 20 on said annuli, the annulus is pulled tight into its required cylindrical form.

Any desired number of slots, for facilitating assembly of the last few battens in the formation of the required cover or sheath, may be provided in the, or each, channel member 16. Thus in FIGURE 1, and for the purpose of illustration, two slots 21 are formed in the web 22 of the channel member 16 of one cheek which in this embodiment is of I section. A similar channel member on the opposite cheek may be void of slots or if any are provided therein they should not lie opposite the slots 21. In FIGURES 2 and 3 the slots 23 are formed in that part 24 of the outer toe 25 of one, or each, of the channel members 16 which is located on that side of the web 22 located inwardly towards the corresponding channel member of the opposite cheek.

Conveniently the assembly of the drum parts is effected with the axis of the drum disposed vertically and in this respect while the tie bolts 19 are being pulled tight to complete the barrel and cheek structure, the act of assembling the wooden battens to form an outer cover or sheath for the drum preparatory to delivery of the drum in an unloaded condition to cable, Wire or rope manufacturers may commence. As may be seen from FIGURE 5 battens 26 are successively inserted in the annulus between the channel members 16 of the opposed cheeks 11 and are then angularly displaced until both ends 27 thereof engage within the respective channel members 16, by which time the battens take up a position at the desired small angle or to a horizontal line extending longitudinally of the drum, which in the particular illustration referred to is in the region of 15".

To facilitate this method of assembly, and as may be seen in FIGURE 9a, each end of each batten 26 is chamfered, preferably to an extent comparable with the desired angularity of the batten with respect to said horizontal line. If desired, however, and as alternatives the ends of the battens may be oppositely chamfered as shown at 29 in FIGURE 9b or curved as shown at 30 in FIGURE 90. Again the longitudinal sides of the battens may be rabbeted as shown in FIGURE 9d, that is, the batten is rabbeted on diagonal edges, as viewed in cross section, as at 28, thereby improving the longitudinal contact between the edges of adjacent battens when taking up their cylindrical formation and thus improving the weatherproof nature of the assembly of battens as a Whole when called upon to protect a cable wound on the barrel 10. In this respect the rabbeted longitudinal side edges of the battens is common to the embodiments of FIGURES 9a, 9b, and 9c.

When all but the last few of the battens are in their inclined positions, i.e. the cylindrical formation of the battens 26 as a whole is nearly completed, the last two or three battens 26a are moved into place in the known manner, that is to say each of this final small group of battens 26a is placed in position by passing it either wholly through a slot 21 in a web 22 of a channel member 16 of one cheek 11 until its leading end 27 enters the channel member 16 of the opposite cheek, whereupon the batten as a whole is then pushed circumferentially into engagement with the last mounted batten assembled by the method of the present invention or alternatively each of the last small group of battens is moved into position with one end 27 inserted into the channel 16 of one cheek and the other end 27 passed through the slot 23 of the appropriate channel member and into said member, the assembly being completed by the required slight movement circumferentially of the assembled battens.

Where a slot or slots 21 in a web 22 is or are utilised in assembling the last two or three battens 26a to complete the formation of the cylindrical component, said slot or slots is or are closed in any desired manner such as by the use of a cover plate 21a which may be connected such as by screws to the appropriate web 22 on the outer face of this as shown in FIGURE 5.

Where however one or more slots 23 are provided in one or more toes 24 of a channel member for assembling the last few battens, the said slot or slots may be closed, after the final batten has been properly positioned, by the insertion of a thin metallic strip (not shown) between said batten and the appropriate toe 24 so as to shroud the slot. If desired, and to prevent accidental displacement of the strip when placed in its shrouding position, the strip may be nailed or otherwise connected to the final batten.

It will be appreciated that, by virtue of the fact that opposite ends of each batten 26, 26a lie at different circumferential parts of their respective channels, the difference being slight where the angle 0: is 1.5" but increasing as the angle on approaches the maximum of 15, where the ends of the battens at one channel 16 are truly cylindrically disposed, the opposite ends of the battens in the other channel 16 take up a visibly stepped formation the depth of the step being dependent on said angle and increasing progressively longitudinally along each batten from one channel 16 to the other.

It will also be appreciated that by providing a tapered inner surface on each of the toes 25 of the channel members 16 the said members may accommodate battens 26 of different thickness as is shown in FIGURE 6.

Again where the end cheeks or flanges are of wood as shown at 31 in FIGURE 8, the channels may be constituted by L shaped members 32 bolted to their respective cheeks.

Where it is desired to construct the cylindrical component as an open frame, such as that diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 7, alternate battens 26 are inclined to the longitudinal line in opposite directions.

I claim:

1. A drum or reel comprising a pair of end cheeks, between which a wound cable wire or rope is supported, and a wooden cylindrical component consisting of a plurality of battens of equal length each of which, when placed in position to extend between said cheeks with its ends supported thereby, lies at a small angle to a line extending longitudinally of the drum.

2. A drum or reel according to claim 1 wherein each batten when forming part of said cylindrical component lies at an angle of between 1.5 and 15 to said line extending longitudinally of said drum.

3. A drum or reel according to claim 1 wherein each end edge of each of said battens extends otherwise than at an angle of to the respective longitudinal edges of the batten.

4. A drum or reel according to claim 1 wherein each end edge of each of said battens is chamfered to extend at angles of 90 plus and minus an angle between 1.5 and 15 to the respective longitudinal edges of the batten.

5. A drum or reel comprising a barrel, a pair of cheeks or flanges at the ends of said barrel to form therewith an annulus in which a cable wire or rope is adapted to be wound and a cover for said Wound cable constituted by a cylindrical component consisting of a plurality of battens each of which when placed in position between supporting end checks or flanges of the drum lies at a small angle to a line extending longitudinally of the drum.

6. A drum or reel according to claim 5 and wherein a channel member is provided on the outer periphery of each end cheek or flange to support the ends of said battens when assembled into cylindrical formation, at least one of said members having at least one slot therein for use in placing in position the last few of the battens required to complete the cylindrical formation of the battens as a whole.

7. A drum or reel according to claim 5 wherein alternate battens of the cylindrical components are oppositely inclined with respect to the line extending longitudinally of the drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,904,158 4/1933 McGuire 20659 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,471,009 October 7, 196E John Hill It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, between line 5 and 6, insert Claims priority, application Great Britain,

Jan. 27 1966 3,629/66 Signed and sealed this 21st day of April 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

